Any experience with a kid sneaking treats?

[marinkitty]

We don't have off limits food at our house, but do have a very strict rule about not eating outside the kitchen, so if my kids started to sneak food to their rooms that would be the conversation here (mice, bugs, just getting food on stuff in general). When we've had one kid hitting the snacks too hard, we just cut back on buying them for awhile and are vocal about why. We reiterate our pediatrician's one treat a day (and clarify that many things are treats, not just the obvious) rule, why our bodies need healthy fuel and say we won't buy those things if people are going to overdo it. Usually, if we take a few weeks off from any treats in the house, when they start to reappear, the problem doesn't recur for quite awhile. I think because a three or four week break cuts the sugar addiction. As the kids have gotten older, I do find myself overall buying a lot less packaged snack food. So if they get hungry, they usually just make themselves some real food and eat it in the kitchen.

[AnnieW625]

Could you not make it off limits? If he still eats meals then I’d honestly let it be. I think making food a source of contention just causes bigger problems. Some days my kids eat tons of junk (like ds2 just licked the brownie batter bowl clean!) but they regulate really well.
I’d just rather have to work on snack choices than deal with sneaking and lying.


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Yes to this.

My dh had an awful soda a day habit from the time he was in college until about 4 years ago. He says it started because soda was pretty much outlawed in his house growing up. He and Dd1 gave it up for lent that year and then I just stopped buying it. Now I get it when we have people over or when we go out to eat. It isn’t banned but I don’t freak out and put it under lock and key when it is in the house.


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[keh602]

This is an ongoing issue at our house. It drives me crazy, because we don't have foods that are off limits. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. DD baked peanut butter cookies last week, and there are still a bunch left. She could bake another batch next week and half of them could disappear in no time. I'm hoping that maybe it's just a phase that each kid is going to go through and then we'll be past it and can move on.

[petesgirl]

My DS went through a similar 'sneaking treats in his room' phase a few years ago. It didn't last long and now he is back to asking me for treats several times a day (also annoying, we have a rule of one treat after lunch and ice cream after dinner on Sundays).
If he would eat chocolate covered almonds I would let him eat as many of those as he wanted!!

If this behavior just started I would bet it is stress/anxiety eating related to covid and school situations.

[petesgirl]

Double post

[ourbabygirl]

Thanks, Everyone!
Yeah, we don't have anything that's forbidden here, but his older and younger sisters are able to moderate and not sneak things. I've told him, too, that if he just asked, it would most likely be a yes, but he just decides to swipe it instead. Anyhow, I'll come up with a plan here soon!

[ourbabygirl]

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